Catskill Homesteader Breeding Project

[myfivegirls]

@myfivegirls
Looking good on Instagram

Thanks!

I just uploaded a boatload of photos to my facebook page for the Catskill Homesteaders:

Sam's group

All albums

 

[myfivegirls]

I haven't updated here in over a month, due to the busy hatching season, almost weekly, with a few hatches that were 2 weeks apart.
The neighbor's pasture is growing fast, so the February hatch chicks moved out to pasture several weeks ago, when they were 7 weeks old.
Soon, I'll be putting the extra roosters with a few hens in pasture pens for new breeding groups. At least one of which will have the bantam mixes, even though at least half of them are broody.

March 30th, I processed the Buckeye/Buff Orp/EE rooster to make room for
younger roosters & ones that are more colorful. He had been in the PA/DC group,
so with his vacancy, I let out the following 3 roosters from the bachelor pen.

One of Joshua's last sons from 2016 hatch - as a chick, he was larger than
his brothers & his small pea/single comb is a bonus to his gorgeous "blue crele-like" feathers.
The two hens on the left are Spitzhaubens, with the other 2 hens being Catskill Homesteaders.


This handsome rooster isn't huge in body, but has gorgeous "orange/blue crele-like" feathers,
and a wonderful cushion comb & smaller wattles. I think he was was from a 2015 hatch.
He's been with the PA/DC flock for most of the winter & has let the other roosters share "his" hens.


Another rooster carrying the "barring gene", though only 1 copy.
Pea/single comb, muff & tiny wattles. Tall & upright tail - not perfect, but
has some good enough attributes to be part of the PA/DC flock.


Lastly, is a pure Spitzhauben rooster - the photo doesn't do him justice!
He's got a crazy hairdo, sprightly tail feathers & gorgeous golden color.
His V comb is very tiny, so excellent for cold winters.
The only negative is he's more of a medium-weight rooter, kind of like a
slightly bigger leghorn body size. Eventually, I'll pen him with hens who are
either crested or are larger, to help even out the size difference.


As for hens, I have lots of photos too, but I'll just share this one of
a gorgeous 2016 pullet who has uniquely colored eyes. I've tried to compare
eye colors & trace down who she might have gotten her light eye color from,
but it must have been a recessive trait.


Well, I better sign off for now. I have to take the latest batch of chicks out of the incubator.

 

[pioneerchick816]

@myfivegirls
They all look stunning to me

 

[myfivegirls]

@myfivegirls
They all look stunning to me

Thank you!

 

[pioneerchick816]

Glad to be back on! Pics please

 

[draye]

Looking good.

 

[myfivegirls]

Took these this AM. I've been busy due to helping family move, etc, so haven't taken many photos.

Last year's pullets In the Truck Cap Coop

I've had incubator issues, so trying to fix that along with everything else going on!

 

[draye]

View attachment 551257 Took these this AM. I've been busy due to helping family move, etc, so haven't taken many photos. View attachment 551256

Last year's pullets In the Truck Cap Coop

I've had incubator issues, so trying to fix that along with everything else going on!

I've had incubator issues also. Got the part and it is installed, but the hatches aren't doing very well.

I'm thinking that maybe the temperature is off a little.

 

[myfivegirls]

Last summer/ fall I had temp issues but thought it was due to ambient/outside temps effecting the incubators. After many less-than-ideal hatches this spring during cold temps, due to eggs quitting - I noticed a pattern, obviously hot spots - as it happened in those areas every time! So, I had to empty the incubator so I could fix it! Hopefully we'll then be able to hatch more.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

Picked up 8 chicks in early April, here they are about a month ago. The two roos on the right back corner have since gone to freezer camp.
So out of 8 chicks I ended up with 6 pullets, not a bad ratio. The bodies are a little smaller than I had hoped but the colors are very interesting so far.

On their 19wk birthday, the first egg from them. Pretty impressive with the nice early start. It's small but it's a first and very interesting color. Can't wait to see the other colors I get and how soon they start.